Workshops

A central feature of the MMA Annual Meeting is the wide selection of workshops covering the latest developments and pressing issues affecting local government.

In 2024, we’ll be holding 21 workshops, with seven in each of the following three time periods:
• Friday, 2-3:15 p.m.
• Friday, 3:30-4:45 p.m.
• Saturday, 1:45-3 p.m.

Friday First Session, 2-3:15 p.m.

• Briefs on Briefs: Updates on Municipal Laws
Presented by Massachusetts Municipal Lawyers Association
Significant developments in municipal law and forecasts of upcoming significant changes from the General Court will anchor this workshop. A panel of municipal attorneys will discuss the impact on cities and towns of key federal and state cases, agency decisions, new laws and developing issues, the open meeting law, public speech, tax title, land use and zoning issues, and cannabis.
Panelists
Jillian Jagling is senior counsel at West Group Law, PLLC.
Brandon Moss is the senior editor, litigation, for Thomson Reuters in its Practical Law Service.
Moderator
Karis North is president of the Massachusetts Municipal Lawyers Association and an attorney with Murphy Hesse Toomey & Lehane.

• Climate’s Impact on the Municipal Property Market
Presented by the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association
Insurance experts will offer the latest updates on climate change and its direct impact on municipal infrastructure and insurance coverage. Industry leaders will discuss the importance of building a resilient community and best practices for maintaining existing facilities and building new ones.
Panelists
Stephen Batchelder is vice president of Claims Operations and Risk Management for the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association.
Megan Hart is managing director of Aon’s Catastrophe Risk Analytics Group.
Kenneth Wertz is executive director of the Massachusetts Facilities Administrators Association.
Moderator
Stanley Corcoran is executive vice president at the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association.

• Crash Course in Responding to Grievances and Navigating Arbitration
Presented by Massachusetts Municipal Human Resources
This interactive workshop will identify the key components of arbitration and explore best practices for navigating the process. Using real-world scenarios, it will address questions such as, What steps should you take when a grievance is filed? How should you prepare for arbitration? What should you look for when selecting an arbitrator? What are your options if you disagree with an arbitrator’s decision? And what should you do differently if the grievance also generates litigation?
Panelists
Brian Maser is an attorney and shareholder at KP Law, PC.
Elizabeth Valerio is a partner at Valerio, Dominello & Hillman, LLC.
Moderator
Molly Kean is assistant town administrator and human resources director in Westwood, and serves as treasurer of Massachusetts Municipal Human Resources.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): The Significance for Municipalities
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is an emerging field in municipal spaces, and many cities and towns are at different stages in their journey, ranging from “where do we start” to implementing DEI into their policies, practices and organizational culture. In this workshop, DEI leaders will discuss how this important work impacts communities, explore core DEI foundations, and recommend best practices based on a municipality’s level of need.
Panelists
Michael Obasohan is the chief diversity officer for the city of Pittsfield.
Kiana Pierre-Louis is the Select Board chair in Sharon and assistant dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Northeastern University.

• Equitable Engagement: Best Practices and Blind Spots
Does your community engagement strategy facilitate meaningful civic participation, collaboration and dialogue? If not, it might be time to rethink your approach. This interactive workshop will review key elements of inclusive engagement, including how to enhance resident influence in decision-making processes and establish trust through open communication. Panelists will also share tools for overcoming biases and blind spots to ensure that diverse perspectives have the opportunity to have an impact on decisions.
Panelists
Bird Guess is CEO of the Racial Equity Group.
Emily Torres-Cullinane is chief of the Attorney General’s Community Engagement Division.

• Fiscal and Economic Outlook
Presented by the Division of Local Services
This workshop will cover important current issues in municipal finance and will look at fiscal 2024 and beyond. Administration officials will give updates on the status of state tax collections and the state’s economic outlook for fiscal 2025.
Panelists
Zack Blake is chief of the Financial Management Resource Bureau at the Division of Local Services.
Matthew Gorzkowicz is secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.
Geoffrey Snyder is commissioner of the Department of Revenue.
Deb Wagner is chief of the Bureau of Accounts at the Division of Local Services.
Chris Wilcock is chief of the Bureau of Local Assessment at the Division of Local Services.
Ken Woodland is chief of the Bureau of Municipal Finance Law at the Division of Local Services.
Moderator
Sean Cronin is senior deputy commissioner at the Division of Local Services.

• Municipal Cybersecurity Update
State and national experts will share recent cybersecurity trends and outline ways to protect your municipality from cyberattacks. This session will discuss what to expect with fiscal 2025 cyber insurance coverage and renewals, and where municipalities should plan to invest. Attendees will leave with an updated roadmap of state, federal and local resources that can be put into action.
Panelists
Greg Bautista is an attorney and partner at Mullen Coughlin.
Colby Cousens is the IT director for the Danvers-based North Shore IT Collaborative.
Brian Gavioli is a detective lieutenant with the Department of State Police’s Commonwealth Fusion Center.
Susan Noyes is director of the Office of Municipal and School Technology in the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security.
Taylor Reynolds is the technology policy director for the MIT Internet Policy Research Initiative.
Pete Sherlock is chief executive officer of CyberTrust Massachusetts.
Moderator
John Petrozzelli is director of the MassCyberCenter.

Friday Second Session, 3:30-4:45 p.m.

• Are You Paying Too Much for Trash and Recycling Services?
Wondering about the latest developments in the municipal trash and recycling management world? Want to know more about resources available for your community? Come to this workshop with key staff from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to talk trash, hear from several municipal officials on their recent successful procurements, and build a better contract.
Panelists
Julia Greene is the municipal assistance coordinator, Northeast District 3, for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Kathi Mirza is the branch chief for Municipal Waste Reduction Programs at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Moderator
Josie Ahlberg is a legislative analyst at the MMA.

• Beacon Hill Basics: How to be Your Municipality’s Best Advocate
Decisions made at the Massachusetts State House have wide-ranging impacts for local governments across the state. This session will discuss how those decisions are made, and how local officials can best advocate for their community and their needs with state leaders.
Panelists
Paul Brodeur is mayor of Melrose and a former state representative.
Dave Koffman is director of the MMA’s Legislative Division.

• Housing Converts
Wondering how to convert and reuse former municipal, commercial, and other spaces in your community into housing? Hear from panelists from public and private organizations who will discuss how they helped their communities: meet housing goals; leverage local affordable housing funds; build community partnerships; preserve and develop historic properties; and get creative with underutilized properties.
Panelists
Thomas Emery is director of real estate at the Coalition for a Better Acre.
Jason Korb is principal at Capstone Communities, LLC.
Dave Traggorth is a principal at Causeway Development, LLC.
Moderator
Jenny Raitt is executive director of the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments.

• The Latest in Labor Law
Developments in the labor law landscape have significant impacts on municipalities in Massachusetts. Two employment and labor law attorneys with decades of experience will discuss the trends in 2023 and provide an outlook for the future. They will cover major court cases, agency decisions, and legislation on topics including civil service, collective bargaining, pensions, workplace safety, and other important labor law issues.
Panelists
D. Moschos is a partner with Seder & Chandler, LLP.
Melissa Murray is a partner with Norris, Murray, & Peloquin, LLP.
Moderator
Vanessa Donovan Hale is the assistant town administrator in Southborough.

• Unemployment: What Your Municipality Needs to Know
Panelists will provide an overview of the unemployment environment in Massachusetts, compare the two financing methods available to municipalities, discuss fraud issues, and share best practices to reduce disputes, improve unemployment processing, and reduce costs. Panelists will also discuss regulations specific to governmental agencies, including reasonable assurance, seasonal certification, and positions that are exempt from unemployment.
Panelists
Cecilia Piazza is vice president of Member Services at First Nonprofit.
Paul Scott is vice president of Unemployment Tax Management Corporation.
Rich Siegel is president of Unemployment Tax Management Corporation and president of the Association of Unemployment Tax Organizations.
Moderator
Stanley Corcoran is executive vice president at the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association.

• What To Expect When You’re Not Expecting Weather!
Presented by Massachusetts Highway Association
Climate change has brought unexpected weather events that have the potential for devastating impacts with little warning. From effective operations, to money-saving strategies, this workshop will discuss best practices to position local governments for response to natural disasters, directly from municipalities that have been through extreme events.
Panelists
Jean Bubon is the town planner in Sturbridge.
Dean Mazzarella is the mayor of Leominster.
Dan Mayer is an arborist and owner of Mayer Tree Service in Essex.
Shaun Suhoski is the town manager of Athol and a former town manager in Sturbridge.
Moderator
Brutus Cantoreggi is public works director in Franklin and a member of the Massachusetts Highway Association Board of Directors.

Saturday Session, 1:45-3 p.m.

• AI in Local Government: Enhancing Services and Empowering Communities
Panelists will explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in local government and its impact on service delivery, citizen engagement, and decision-making processes. Real-world examples of successful AI projects implemented by municipalities, and interactive demonstrations and engaging discussions, will provide insights on the opportunities, challenges and ethical considerations associated with AI adoption in local government. Panelists will cover how AI can improve operational efficiency, enhance citizen satisfaction, and enable data-driven decision-making.
Panelist
Rich Siegel is president of the Unemployment Tax Management Corporation and president of the Association of Unemployment Tax Organizations.
Moderator
Jill Goldsmith is the town manager in Chatham.

• Cleaning and Greening Up Municipal Buildings and Fleets
What are our 2050 climate goals, and how can municipalities work to reach them? Panelists will discuss funding and programs available to help and real-world examples of how decarbonization of municipal fleets and buildings have been prioritized in municipalities.
Panelists
Joanne Bisetta is director of the Green Communities Division in the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.
Julie Gagen is the sustainability coordinator in Weston.
Hermayne Gordon is director of the Woburn Public Library.
Moderator
Erina Keefe is the director of sustainability in Beverly.

• From 9-5 to 24/7: Building Thriving Business Districts
What’s your municipality’s role in creating a thriving business district? This workshop will explore opportunities for local governments to drive economic development and build community through sustainable business district management. Using case studies from across Massachusetts, panelists will discuss strategies for understanding the needs of local businesses and residents and for growing district management capacity.
Panelists
Emmy Hahn is program coordinator for the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative.
Ben Lamb is vice president of economic development at 1Berkshire.
Moderator
Christine Hoyt is a Select Board member in Adams, director of member services at 1Berkshire, and District 1 representative on the Massachusetts Select Board Association Board of Directors.

• Practice Resilience: Be Happier at Work
Working in local government at any level has its challenges. Many of us who were once excited to come to work and be inspired now approach the workday with a sense of dread. People are angry and have unreasonable expectations. We have so much on our plate that going on vacation requires too much effort before and after to make it feel worthwhile. Panelists in this workshop will provide strategies for becoming more resilient and regaining work-life happiness.
Panelists
Kate Fitzpatrick is town manager in Needham.
Molly Fitzpatrick Kean is the Assistant Town Administrator in Westwood.

• Unlocking Federal Funds
The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act provide numerous new opportunities for municipalities to apply for federal funding. This workshop will highlight support and resources available to municipalities through the state’s new Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office, demystify how labor standards and registered apprenticeships factor into grant applications and administration, and provide an overview of the municipal implications for IRA elective pay.
Panelists
Frank Callahan is president of the Massachusetts Building Trades Unions.
David Eichenthal is a senior advisor for policy implementation and delivery at the U.S. Department of the Treasury/U.S. Digital Service.
Quentin Palfrey is director of the state’s Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office.

• Using Data to Tell Your Story
Across local government, data is being used to drive decisions on a daily basis. In an era of transparency, this session will highlight how communities can use data in all of its communications. Attendees will gain an understanding of how different municipal departments benchmark and use data to successfully tell their story.
Panelists
Sandy Johnston is the communications director in Medway.
Thatcher Kezer is the town administrator in Marblehead.
Victor Santaniello is the assessor in Reading and Wakefield.